


Always Recruit a Fellow Scholar

by Crowoxy



Series: Platonic Paladins and Aliens [8]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gen, Lotor Spring Exchange 2018, Lotor joins the Blades, Post-Season/Series 04, Zarkon mentioned, blade of marmora, lots of talking, some world building, with some season 5 mixed in
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-25
Updated: 2018-03-25
Packaged: 2019-04-07 15:56:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14084403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crowoxy/pseuds/Crowoxy
Summary: After Lotor is taken inside the Castle following his actions at Naxzela, Kolivan comes to ask the now disgraced Prince to join the ranks of the Blade of Marmora. No one who has the patience to study ancient ruins for centuries and read up on now dead cultures should be passed over, especially since the Blades used to all be librarians.Gift for achievingelysium on AO3 (riftlotor on Tumblr) for the Lotor Spring Exchange. I apologize for this being so late!





	Always Recruit a Fellow Scholar

**Author's Note:**

  * For [achievingelysium](https://archiveofourown.org/users/achievingelysium/gifts).



> Whew, I completely forgot about this exchange, so let me first off apologize for the huge tardiness on my part. This is for the Lotor Spring Exchange 2018, which I am pretty sure I did not do achievingelysium's requests justice. 
> 
> Expect loads of talking because a mixture of Kolivan, Lotor, and Allura means that they never stop talking and ending this had me banging my head on multiple walls. 
> 
> Regardless, I hope you enjoy!

“Congratulations, Princess Allura.” Kolivan stood as stiff as ever in front of the leader of the newly developed rebel coalition. “Your victory at Naxzela was a decisive blow against Emperor Zarkon and his Empire.” 

“We couldn’t have done it without the help of the Blade of Marmora, or our other allies in the coalition.” Allura was a master of praises, Kolivan had noticed early on in their partnership. Good, the coalition needed someone who recognized the effort of each individual in a rebellion. “But thanks for your deeds is not the only reason I asked you to meet me.” 

“No?” 

Allura shook her head. “After the battle, an… individual of interest approached us for negotiations.” 

“You mean Prince Lotor.” Kolivan said bluntly. Everyone had heard the estranged prince’s message to the coalition, and Keith had reported that Lotor’s ship had been the one to save them from the implosion of an entire planet. 

“Yes,” Allura nodded. “We currently have him in one of our cells as a precaution, but I wanted your advice on how to proceed.” 

Kolivan remained stoic in thought; it was rare that Princess Allura openly asked him for advice. She would listen to any information Kolivan could provide her with, but usually remained steadfast in her decisions. And with such a controversial person of interest hanging in the balance, Kolivan would need to plan carefully. 

“Princess, I would like to talk to Prince Lotor myself first before fully perusing this, but what do think of the Prince joining the Blade of Marmora?” Kolivan recalled a report that had landed on his lap some time ago by one of his agents who patrolled in the outer fringes of the Empire’s grasp. 

_ “The Prince is a scholar; he’s spent decaphoebs studying the ruins of Kyradah just taking notes and spending long vargas discussing research with one of the scientists.”  _

Allura looked at Kolivan in bafflement, her diplomacy skills honed enough by now to consider the right words she wanted to speak. 

“Is that wise?” She said after several ticks. “Lotor is Zarkon’s son, would that not cause conflict among the Blades? Assuming he would want to join your group in the first place.” 

“If he passed the test, then there would be no doubts among the Blades.” Kolivan shrugged. “Keith might protest about it seeing how he’s felt a need to chase after Lotor, but considering the circumstances, even he might not pose any arguments.” 

“And if he fails the test?” Allura pressed. 

Kolivan gave the princess a small smile. “Knowledge or death, Princess Allura. The Galra do not settle for failure.” 

Allura worried at her lips in thought, Kolivan could almost see the pros and cons of the situation flashing through her mind. 

Pro, Lotor is off of her ship but still somewhere away from the coalition and the Galra. Con, the risk that Lotor could report the secrets the Blade of Marmora had been collecting for millennia. 

Pro, Lotor working against his father with inside knowledge; that sort of advantage could not be passed up. 

“I will allow you to discuss this with him,” Allura decided. “But if he refuses to join the Blade of Marmora, we will keep him with us in the Castle of Lions.” 

“Very wise, Princess.”

Kolivan followed Allura down to the depths of the castle, approaching a cell barricaded by some sort of particle barrier. In the middle of the room stood a Galra, holding themselves with an aristocratic flair. Angular blue eyes studied both Kolivan and Allura as they stepped out of the elevator. 

“Well, it appears you’ve brought a new guest, Princess Allura.” He has an accent, Kolivan noted, strangely similar to Allura’s; Kolivan wondered how. 

“Yes.” Allura’s voice was hard. “He wishes to speak with you about your future.” 

Lotor’s expression didn’t change, but Kolivan caught how he casually shifted weight to the balls of his feet, already preparing to move. “Oh? I already agreed to remain in this cell and provide you with information detrimental to the Galra Empire, did I not? Or was I mistaken about your need for my knowledge since you seem to already be partnered with other Galra soldiers?” 

Kolivan stepped forward, drawing the prince’s focus to himself. 

“I have never been a part of the Empire, Prince Lotor.” Kolivan started, “My group and I have always opposed the Emperor’s rule, since the Great Fires.” 

“The Great Fires?” A quick breath and Lotor’s eyes widened, like he had been given a horde of candy. 

“Impossible,” he leaned further on his toes, face almost pressed against the barrier separating him from Kolivan. “They all vanished  _ days _ after the Fires, all records pointed to your deaths. How have you survived all this time?” 

“The original founders have all passed,” Kolivan dipped his head to the side, “But their ways have continued to be shared with the next generations so they have never truly died.” 

“Amazing.” Awe colored his tone. “I searched for your group when I was much younger, I had always dreamed I could learn so much from them.” 

“Yes, that is what Kolivan is going to speak to you about.” Allura pressed a button on the console in front of the cell and immediately the floor was darker, the particle barrier taking a source of light as it was turned off. “Now, please explain about these Great Fires and who the Blade of Marmora founders were. I would rather not remain in the dark.” 

“Of course. Prince Lotor, why don’t you explain the Great Fires? You are a scholar, are you not?” Kolivan watched as Lotor blinked in surprise, his skin darkening slightly - embarrassment, perhaps? 

“Not as such,” Lotor said nervously, “I admit I dabble in research, but I am nowhere near the level of an actual researcher or scientist.” 

“Someone who spends centuries studying ruins is slightly more than just a dabbler. But please, I would like to hear what you’ve found for my predecessors.” 

Lotor cleared his throat, lifting a hand up to rub against his chin. His body language was tense, Kolivan noted, anxiousness under the excitement at  _ sharing _ information with someone new. 

“The Great Fires took place over ten thousand years ago. You might have actually heard about them, Princess, it was during Emperor Vrig’s time.”

“I don’t remember a time when Zarkon wasn’t in power.” Allura frowned. 

“My father has been power for a long time, yes.” Lotor looked away for a brief tick. “But Emperor Vrig The Great was his immediate predecessor on the throne, from what the archives say. Near the beginning of his rule, he initiated the Great Fires, setting aflame any controversial books and places of learning that spoke a single word against his rule. Within phoebs, most books or sources had vanished, some in the fires, and some with the guardians of the books, the archivists who had been their keepers. No one ever figured out what had happened to the archivists who had disappeared into thin air, many presumed that the military had killed them off before the burnings even began.” 

“But why?” Allura interjected. “Why would Vrig want to burn books and get rid of bookkeepers?”

“Because,” Kolivan said before Lotor, “Vrig was an expansionist who began the spread of the Galra Empire using military force to colonize surrounding planets and beyond.” 

“Emperor Vrig was threatened by knowledge that the Galra could be  _ equal  _ to other species,” Lotor nodded. “So the books and by extension, their caretakers, needed to be dealt with so he could continue with little resistance.

“You have to understand, Princess,” Lotor continued, “back then, when the Galra became militarized,  _ everyone _ was drafted or conscripted into the army or special branches for the Emperor. The only ones left on planet were the Galra unable to fight or children. There was no one left who could protest his decisions.” 

“He does not seem to be a very good ruler.” Allura scowled; Kolivan sympathized. 

“My ancestors agreed with that statement.” Kolivan turned to face Lotor directly, looking down to stare into Lotor’s eyes. “That is why when they received word that Emperor Vrig was plotting to burn them with the books and manuscripts they had been collecting since the dawn of the Galra civilization, the archivists ran in the cover of night, carrying only as much knowledge as they could carry.” 

“And that’s when they formed your group.” Lotor guessed. 

“Indeed. They called themselves the Blade of Marmora, a name we have continued to use to resist the corrupted rule of the Galra Emperors.” Kolivan smiled. “And in the light of your situation, Prince Lotor, I wish to offer you the chance to join us.” 

Silence enveloped the trio standing in the cell, Allura and Kolivan both staring intently at Lotor who blinked furiously in bafflement. 

“Oh.” Lotor swayed on his feet. “ _ Oh _ . That’s… I was not expecting that.” 

“I wish I could give anyone time to decide,” Kolivan said, joining a resistance group was not an easy decision to make no matter what the stories would have anyone believe, let alone for the heir to the throne of the Empire that had been deemed the enemy. “But secrecy is our ally and I’m afraid I cannot let you wait to choose between the Blades or staying with Voltron, which might offer you more protection.”

Allura pursed her lips at his words, clearly favoring the son of Zarkon to choose to be away from her and her ship. Kolivan was sure he knew what the Prince’s response  _ would _ be, however making assumptions was always a good way to get someone killed. The Blade of Marmora were limited enough without needlessly throwing away lives based on  _ assumptions _ . Should he choose, Lotor would be a good ally to limit those loses; Kolivan knew that whatever Lotor should chose, the rest of the coalition would be able to recognize that skill within a matter of phoebs. 

“Before I give you an answer,” Lotor still looked faint and ready to fall if the wall were not there to use for support, “Can you answer why you would extend this offer to me? Do not get me wrong, being an Archivist was one of my childhood fantasies, which is why it seems so strange to be given this option.” 

_ Why me, _ Kolivan heard in the air,  _ when I am the son of your greatest enemy? When everyone else sees me as Zarkon’s spawn and nothing more? _

From the corner of his eye, Kolivan noticed Allura shifting slightly on the balls of her feet betraying her own interest in his reasoning for trying to recruit Lotor into the folds of the Galran rebel organization. 

“One, you have inside knowledge of the Galra Empire, especially after your stint as acting Emperor. In my experience, whoever has the most intelligence will win the fight.” Kolivan explained. “Knowledge or death, Prince Lotor. Those are our fighting words within the Blade of Marmora. Two,” Kolivan held up a small black device and pressed a button. A hologram of a set of orders glowed brightly in the cell. “An agent sent me these from their position aboard one of the Commanger’s ships.”

“Is that,” Allura stepped forward to peer at the words etched into the purple light emitting from the communicator, “I admit that my Galran is not the best, but that cannot say Zarkon ordered the whole fleet to mobilize to hunt down his own son. That is absolutely ridiculous.” 

“You have clearly never met my father.” Lotor muttered and sagged against the wall. “Why do you think he wasn’t at Naxzela with the Witch? Voltron on the brink of annihilation, the insurgents all within blast range. If he hadn’t been too busy frying his engines over Nah-veer Five with six Command ships chasing me, I’m not sure Voltron or the Coalition would have survived, even with the Witch’s magic bomb disabled.” 

“You don’t know that!” Allura shot back, fists clenched. “We would have figured something out,  _ Lotor _ .” 

Whatever retort Lotor wanted to spit out at the Altean princess, was halted, Lotor visibly clenching his teeth and swallowing heavily. “If that is what you believe, Princess.” 

Kolivan put the communicator away and cleared his throat, calling attention to himself. “Regardless of your victory, Princess Allura, Prince Lotor is no longer safe within the Empire. Even if he presented Voltron to Zarkon, the Emperor would still never welcome him back. Not without suitable punishment or simply execution. It is no secret what happens to those who oppose or get on Zarkon’s bad side.

“So, Prince Lotor,” Kolivan paused. “Would you like to go through the Blade of Marmora initiation or stay with Voltron?” 

“Will everyone not know who I am if I join you and I assume, go on missions to sabotage the Galra Empire?”

“There are masks.” Kolivan said dryly. “You would be hiding in plain sight while within the Galra Empire and - as one of the Paladins is fond of saying - wrecking their shit up.” 

“Or you would stay with us,” Allura jumped into the conversation, “where you will give us information on how to take down the Galra and nothing more.” 

Lotor looked between the two of them. “I am not too sure what ‘wrecking their shit up’ really means, but if it does mean I have a chance to make Zarkon’s life miserable directly, yes.” 

“To be honest, I am not entirely sure myself, but have been told it means something along the lines of large explosions.” Kolivan admitted. 

“Perfect.” Lotor eyes gleamed. 

“Well, I’m glad you’ve decided then.” Allura stepped back. “Before you undergo the trials, I expect some information in return for keeping you safe from Zarkon and the rest of the Galra.” 

“But, of course.” Lotor nodded regally. “Whatever you wish to know about the Galra Empire, I will gladly share with you and the Blade of Marmora.” 

Allura shared a grim smile with Lotor before turning to Kolivan and nodding her head. “You can speak longer together if you wish. I will return with my advisor and the Paladins for the information in a short while.” 

“Thank you, Princess Allura.” Lotor called as she started walking towards the lift out of the cell block. “For granting my request of a safe haven.” 

Allura turned to stare at Lotor. “You asked us for help and surrendered. We would be as bad as the Empire if we didn’t at least hear you out, as ill-advised as many made it seem.” 

“She is a good leader.” Lotor said when the elevator was high above their heads. 

“She is.” Kolivan agreed. “Now, you should rest. The trial of initiation into our order is not one for the weary. You will fail if you are not fully alert in body and in mind.” 

Lotor blinked and moved to sit on the small cushion the cell provided as a bed. “Knowledge or death?” 

Kolivan nodded. “Knowledge or death, Prince Lotor. As is the way of the Galra.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Couple of last minute notes:
> 
> 1\. I am utterly convinced that the original Blade of Marmora members used to be the librarians/ Archivists of the Galra and that when it started becoming more militarized, a 1984 situation happened where all the books/scrolls/data pads of information were destroyed to legitimize the claim of expansionism. I decided to have a previous ruler rather than Zarkon because I think we see signs of attempted warfare between Zarkon and Blaytz in Season 3 episode 7 which could have been from previous attempts of colonialism. 
> 
> 2\. Everytime I think of the Blade of Marmora I think of Evelyn O'Connell from the Mummy series and her method of being in charge of books and historical artifacts. 
> 
> 3\. I wanted to actually write Lotor undergoing the trials of the BoM, but some people had to keep talking like the butts they are. 
> 
> 4\. Why is it I can never write what I intended to at the start? I must of rewritten this four times in the past week. 
> 
> 5\. Also, screw titles. I hate them.


End file.
